Draft Scout Snapshot:A closer look at the Raiders' 10 picks: Round 5/140 -- Ben Heeney, LB, 6-0, 231, Kansas...Heeney, an All-Big 12 performer for the Jayhawks, had a nose for the ball and led his team in tackles. He started as an inside linebacker, but as a former prep standout running back, has good athleticism and can play outside as well and on special teams. - The Sports Xchange

Ben Heeney/Kansas football Videos

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05/20/15 - LB Ben Heeney, selected by the Raiders in the fifth round of the draft (140th overall), signed a four-year contract Wednesday (May 20).
Heeney was selected 140th overall by the Raiders in the 2015 NFL Draft. He played four seasons at Kansas, starting 34-of-46 games over his career and totaling 335 tackles (214 solo), 4.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, four interceptions and nine passes defensed. As a senior, he started all 12 games and tallied 127 tackles (88 solo), earning him unanimous All-Big 12 First-Team and Honorable Mention Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.

05/05/15 - Linebacker Ben Heeney admitted after gaining more than 2,000 yards rushing and scoring 39 touchdowns as a high school senior he never envisioned being an NFL linebacker. "Actually I thought I'd be a running back in college," Heeney said. "I grew up playing running back and played defense, but I would get like five touchdowns a game. I thought that was the path I would take, but I got to college and they saw me more as an athlete. I think I'm very versatile." - The Sports Xchange

05/05/15 - A closer look at the Raiders' 10 picks: Round 5/140 -- Ben Heeney, LB, 6-0, 231, Kansas...Heeney, an All-Big 12 performer for the Jayhawks, had a nose for the ball and led his team in tackles. He started as an inside linebacker, but as a former prep standout running back, has good athleticism and can play outside as well and on special teams. - The Sports Xchange

02/24/15 - 2015 NFL Combine, 25 Takeaways: Five Players Sending Us Back to the Tape: Ben Heeney, ILB, Kansas: Heeney was often characterized as a "try-hard" type with limited athleticism despite earning consensus First Team All-Big 12 honors this past season with 127 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss. After ranking among the swiftest inside linebackers tested this year in the 40-yard dash (4.59), short shuttle (4.00) and 3 cone drill (6.68), however, the 6-0, 231 pounder may have tackled himself a draft selection. - Rob Rang, NFLDraftScout.com

08/08/14 - 2014 PRESEASON BRONKO NAGURSKI TROPHY AWARD WATCH LIST: Ben Heeney, Kansas, LB...A senior from Hutchinson, Kansas, Heeney missed a pair of games in the middle of the 2013 conference slate, but still finished with a team-best 88 total stops, including 11.5 tackles for loss and the first three interceptions of his career. Heeney, honored as an All-Big 12 Second Team selection by the Associated Press and the conference coaches last season, was fourth in the conference with 8.7 tackles per game and ranked fifth in tackles-for-loss per game with 1.15. He reached double figures in tackles in six of his 10 games played, including four Big 12 contests. - Kansas football

08/08/14 - 2014 PRESEASON BUTKUS AWARD WATCH LIST: Ben Heeney, Kansas...Heeney missed a pair of games in the middle of the 2013 conference slate, but still finished with a team-best 88 total stops, including 11.5 tackles for loss and the first three interceptions of his career. Heeney, honored as an All-Big 12 Second Team selection by the Associated Press and the conference coaches last season, was fourth in the conference with 8.7 tackles per game and ranked fifth in tackles-for-loss per game with 1.15. He reached double figures in tackles in six of his 10 games played, including four Big 12 contests.

In 2012, Heeney burst on to the scene with 112 tackles in his first season as a starter for the Jayhawks. His 112 tackles included 66 solo stops. He led KU with 12.0 tackles-for-loss and added one sack. He also was credited with two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. - Kansas football

08/08/14 - 2014 PRESEASON ROTARY LOMBARDI AWARD WATCH LIST: Ben Henney - LB, Sr. - Kansas...Heeney missed a pair of games in the middle of the 2013 conference slate, but still finished with a team-best 88 total stops, including 11.5 tackles for loss and the first three interceptions of his career. - Kansas football

08/08/14 - 2014 PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12 FOOTBALL TEAM (MEDIA): LB Ben Heeney, Kansas 6-0 230 Sr/3L Hutchinson, Kan.,...Heeney, who was an All-Big 12 Second Team selection in 2013, is heading into 2014 as the conference's leading returning tackler. Last year the Hutchinson, Kansas native recorded a team-high 88 tackles and finished fourth in the conference with 8.7 tackles-per-game. Heeney also recorded double-digit tackles in six of his 10 games played a season ago and is one of six active linebackers with 200 tackles and 20 tackles for loss in the last two seasons.

Heeney's selection to the All-Big 12 team comes on the heels of six other preseason awards he has garnered in 2014 as he was named preseason All-Big 12 First Team by both Athlon Sports and Phil Steele Magazine and was selected to the preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik, Butkus and Rotary Lombardi Awards, as well as the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. - Kansas football

08/04/14 - 2014 PRESEASON BEDNARIK AWARD WATCH LIST: LB Ben Heeney, Kansas...Heeney, a senior from Hutchinson, Kan., missed a pair of games in the middle of the 2013 conference slate, but still finished with a team-best 88 total stops, including 11.5 tackles for loss and the first three interceptions of his career. Heeney, selected as an All-Big 12 Second Team selection by the Associated Press and the conference coaches last season, was fourth in the conference with 8.7 tackles per game and ranked fifth in tackles-for-loss per game with 1.15.

He reached double figures in tackles in six of his 10 games played, including four Big 12 contests. In 2012, Heeney burst on to the scene with 112 tackles in his first season as a starter for the Jayhawks. His 112 tackles included 66 solo stops. He led KU with 12.0 tackles-for-loss and added one sack. He also was credited with two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and one forced fumble. - Kansas football

06/05/14 - Kansas' top NFL Draft-Eligible prospects to watch in 2014: 1. ILB Ben Heeney, Senior...The Jayhawks' leading tackler the past two seasons, Heeney has been the heart and soul of the Kansas' defense since he became the full-time starter in 2012 and will again be one of the team leaders in 2014. The Jayhawks' defense ranked near dead last in college football last season, allowing 31.4 points per game, but Heeney was one of the lone bright spots, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors the past two years. He has average straight-line speed and appears tight in space, but plays with a try-hard motor and leaves everything he has on the field.

Heeney is a physical wrap tackler and aggressive in pursuit, taking decisive angles and breaking down well on the move – locks onto his target and won't make many mistakes. He performs better than expected in man coverage with his read/react skills to float while reading the eyes of the quarterback, breaking well to make plays on the ball. Although his average athleticism tends to show up too much, Heeney has the mental make-up and competitive nature needed for the position and he will make it tough for a NFL team to cut him next year. - Dane Brugler, NFLDraftScout.com